Locomotive-valve.



Elm 827,504.

PATENTED JULY 31, 190 6.

A. E. COOPER. LOGOMOTIVE VALVE.

QAPPLIOATION FILED MAE.1'7.1906

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N 827,504. PATBNTED JULY 31, 1906. A. E. COOPER. LOGOMOTIVE VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 17, 1906.

Witt wows:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOOOlVlOTIVE-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 31, 1906.

Application filed March 17,1906. Serial No. 306,562.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. COOPER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Ohampaign, Champaign county, State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive-Valves; andmy preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in thefollowing full,

improved valve mechanism being by preference termed thelocomotive-valve, as it is mainly useful in controlling the brakes on alocomotive.

, In the automatic brake systems now commonly employed all the brakesare released by a valve located in the cab of the engine and must bereleased from the engine-wheels first and then from each car back insuccession. Hence when the engineer is bringing his train to a stop heapplies his brakes on the whole train. If it is apparent that he isstopping too quickly and he desires to release the rakes to some extent,the usual construction necessitates his removing the brakes on theengine-wheels first. The result is that p the engine dashes forward,while the rest of the train, with brakes not yet released, dragsbackward, and the engine is pulling against the dead weight of a largenumber of cars with their brakes set. The object of the presentinvention is to provide a locomotive valve whereby the brakes may remainset on the engine-wheels, so that it can hold back the train, andwhereby the brakes on the cars back of the engine can be released insuccession, thus giving the engineer complete control of his train andavoiding the damage frequently resulting to the couplings.

. To this end the invention consists in the use in the cab of the valvemechanism hereinafter described and its connection with the.

well-known parts of the system, as described below and illustrated inthe drawings herein. Figures 1 and 2 are sections of the valvecasing.Fig. 3 is an elevation of the valve- .plug. Fig. 4 is a plan view indiagram, showing the plug or core with its ports set, as hereinafterreferred to. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation showing the arrangementwithin -the cab and upon the engine.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, D designates the driving orother wheels of a locomotive, B their brake, and C the brakecylinder. Mis the main reservoir of an airbrake system, from which a pipe m leadsto the engineers valve E, and P is the trainpip'e, leading from thelatter backward under the train to similar brake mechanisms on thevarious cars, as well understood. T is the triple valve on the engine,having its auxiliary reservoir A. t is a pipe connecting the triplevalve with the train-pipe, and c is another pipe, connecting the triplevalve with the air end of the brake-cylinder C, all as also wellunderstood and in common use on airbrake systems of this type.

The letter L designates what I call the locomotive-valve, because it isa valve additional to the engineers valve and useful mainly forcontrolling the brakes on the loco motive.

Heretofore it has been common to connect the release-port of the triplevalve with a certain type of locomotive-valve by a pipe, as t t in Fig.5, the locomotive-valve then being arranged so that this release-portpipe 15 t may be either opened to an exhaust or connected with the pipe0 c, which in turn leads to the brake-cylinder O. Heretofore also it hasbeen proposed to arrange an exhaust between them, whereby the turning ofthe valvecore would in a measure control the locomotive-brakes. There isa certain type of loco motive-valve having a threeway passage in itscore and three ports, one being an exhaust and the others connected,respectively, with the train-pipe and the triple valve, as in pipe t ofFig. 5. In one sense my present invention is a combination of theseideas, and in another sense it is a radical departure therefrom. It iscapable of performing all that is mentioned in the first instance, andmore; but it differs from the second instance mentioned in that itconnects with the pipe m of the main reservoir M rather than with thetrain pipe P, thus permitting the pressure from the main reservoir to beapplied direct (and not through the engineers valve E) to thebrake-cylinder 0, whether the train service-pipe P is in use or not.

Figs. 1 to 4 are detailed views of the construction of my so-calledlocomotive-valve] in which the letter L is here employed to designatethe casing, J the core or lug, and H the operating-handle, which oldsthe latter in the former, as well understood.

This plug has bored diametrically through it a port 1, directly beneathand in line therewith a second diametric port 2, (this latter beingshown in Fig. 4, while the former is immediately above it and not hereillustrated,) and a radial port 3 in a plane with and at right angles tothe lowermost port 2 and connecting with it at the center of its length.The casing is provided with an exhaust 4 and directly opposite thereto aport 5, which communicates, through the releaseport pipe 25 t, with thetriple valve, as shown in Fig. 5, this exhaust and port being in linewith the port 1. At a lower level the casing also has a port 6 at oneside communicating with the pipe Z Z of Fig. 5 directly opposite a port7, communicating with the pipe 0 c, and at right angles thereto anexhaust-port 3, opening into the atmosphere, these three ports beingarranged quartering, so that they can simultaneously communicate withthe ports 2 and 3 in the core J. It will be observed that the ports 4and 5 are on a line oblique to the ports 6 and 7, and hence when theupper port 1 in the core communicates with the ports 4 and 5 all of thelower ports are closed. Also when all of the lower ports in the casingare in communication with the three lower ports in the plug the upperports are closed. For this reason this form of valve combines in onecasing, plug, and handle the possibilities of two valves which are neverintended to be opened simultaneously, and the connection illustrated inthe diagrammatic view of Fig. 5 will permit the following results: V

In running position the plug J is set within the casing L, as shown inFig. 4, which connects the pipe t it from the triple valve with theexhaust 4 of the locomotive-valve L. Heretofore the triple valveexhausted at y, and the engineer had no control of this exhaust-Manifestly with the ports set as in Fig. 4 the exhaust is open and theautomatic air-brake system operates just as if the locomotive-valve werenot employed. To set the brakes on the entire train, the engineers valveE is operated to close the pressure from the main reservoir M to thetrain-pipe P. It now it is desired to lock the brakes, the

locomotive-valve L is set to close all the ports,

and as the exhaust from the cylinder 0 is closed the locomotive-brakesare held set. If next it is desired to release the brakes on the carsfirst and the engine last, the engineers valve is operated to admitpressure from the main reservoir to the train-pipe; but as the pressurein the brake-cylinder C is still trapped the brakes on the engine willremain set. Having released the brakes on the cars one by one until thetrain is under full control, the engineer can then release the brakes onthe engine by restoring the locomotive-valve to the position shown inFig. 4. .So much for what is possible to be done by .use of theuppermost port 1 in the locomotive-valve.

If the plug J be turned in the casing of the valve L so that the port 2communicates with the exhaust 8 and the port 8 with the port 7 andthence through pipe 0 c to the brake-cylinder 0, all the air in saidbrakecylinder on the engine is allowed to escape, thus releasing thebrake on the locomotive no matter how set and preventing the setting ofthe brakes thereon by the automatic air-brake system. This is calledfull-release position. If the plug J be further turned in the casing sothat the port 3 is vertical in Fig. 4 and the port 2 connects the ports6 and 7 ,air from the main reservoir M is permitted to pass directlyinto the brakecylinder C, thereby setting the brakes on the engine onlywith the full and direct air-pressure from the reservoir. This is calledstraight-air application, but should the engineer find that thelocomotive-wheels are sliding or that he has attained suflicientbrake-power he can turn the plug J backward slightly until all the portsare closed. Should the train-pipe P become broken or defective, theengineer can still attain this position of straight-air application bymanipulating the engineers valve to shut off communication between themain reservoir and the train-pipe. So much for what is possible to bedone by use of the lower ports in this improved locomotive-valve whenused on an air-brake system.

What is claimed as new is- 1. In an air-brake apparatus, the combinationwith the locomotive brakes and cylinder, the triple valve, the mainreservoir, and the usual connections between these members of alocomotive-valve having two ports in its casing, one being an exhaustand the other connected with the exhaust of the triple valve, the plugof said valve having a port adapted to put said two ports into or out ofcommunication independent of the operation of the engineers valve; otherports in said casing, one being an exhaust and the other connected withsaid cylinder, and other ports in the plug adapted to put the last twointo communication when the exhaust from the triple valve is closed andalso independent of the engineers valve.

2. In an air-brake apparatus, the combination with the locomotive brakesand cylinder, the triple valve, the main reservoir, and the usualconnections between these members; of a locomotive-valve having twoports in its casing, one being an exhaust and the other connected withthe exhaust of the triple valve, the plug of said valve having a portadapted to put said two ports into or out of communication independentof the operation of the engineers valve; other ports in the casing, oneconnected with said cylinder and the other with the main reservoir,

and another port in the plug adapted to put the last two ports intocommunication independent of the operation of the engineers valve.

3. In an air-brake apparatus, the combination with the main reservoir,engineers valve, a pipe between them, the train-pipe, thelocomotive-brakes and their cylinder, and the triple valve; of alocomotive-valve having two ports in its casing, one connected with saidpipe from the main reservoir and the other with said cylinder, its plughaving a port adapted to put said two ports into communicationindependent of theoperation of the engineers valve.

4. In an air-brake apparatus, the combination with the main reservoir,engineers valve, a pipe between them, the train-pipe, the 10-comotive-brakes and their cylinder, and the triple valve; of alocomotive-valve having two ports in its casing, one being an exhaustand the other connected with said cylinder, its plug having a portadapted to open or close the exhaust from the cylinder independent ofthe operation of the engineers valve.

5. In an air-brake apparatus, the combination with the main reservoir,engineers valve, a pipe between them, the trainpipe, thelocomotive-brakes and their cylinder, and the triple valve; of alocomotive-valve having three ports in its casing, one connected withsaid pipe between the main reservoir and engineers valve, anotherconnected with said cylinder, and the third being an exhaust, the plugin said valve having a three-way port adapted to connect the cylinderwith the exhaust or with the main reservoir independent of the operationof the engineers valve.

6. In an air-brake apparatus, the combination with the main reservoir,engineers valve, a pipe between them, the train-pipe, thelocomotive-brakes and their cylinder, and the triple valve; of alocomotive-valve having two ports in its casing, one being an exhaustand the other connected with said cylinder, its plug having a portadapted to open or close the exhaust from the cylinder independent ofthe operation of the engineers valve; and additional ports in andconnections from said locomotive-valve to the triple valve forcontrolling the exhaust from the latter independent of the otherfunctions of the locomotive-valve and also independent of the operationof the engineers valve.

7. In an air-brake apparatus, the combina tion with the main reservoir,engineers valve,

a pipe between them, the train-pipe, the 10- comotive-brakes and theircylinder, and the triple valve; of a locomotive-valve having three portsin its casing, one connected with said pipe between the main reservoirand engineers valve, another connected with said cylinder, and the thirdbeing an exhaust, the plug in said valve having a three-way port toconnect the cylinder with the exhaust or with the main reservoirindependent of the operation of the engineers valve; and additionalports in and connection from said locomotive-valve to the triple valvefor controlling the exhaust from the latter independent of the otherfunctions of the locomotivevalve and also independent of the operationof the engineers valve.

8. In an air-brake apparatus, the combination with the main reservoir,engineers valve, a pipe between them, the train-pipe, the 10-comotive-brakes and their cylinder, and the triple valve; of alocomotive-valve having two ports in its casing, one connected with saidpipe from the main reservoir and the other with said cylinder, its plughaving a port adapted to put said two ports into communicationindependent of the operation of theengineers valve; and additional portsin and connection from said locomotive-valve to the triple valve forcontrolling the exhaust from the latter independent of the otherfunctions of the locomotive-valve and also independent of the operationof the engineers valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature this the14th dav o March, A. D. 1906.

ALBERT E. COOPER.

Witnesses:

H. B. SooT'r, R. F. MUSSON.

